Adult congenital heart disease (CHD) transplant recipients historically experienced worse survival early after transplantation. We aim to review updated trends in adult CHD transplantation.We performed a single center case series of adult cardiac transplants from January 2013 through July 2020. Outcomes of patients with CHD were compared to non-CHD. The primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary outcomes included a variety of post-operative complications.18/262 (7%) transplants were CHD recipients. CHD patients were younger with median age 41 (32-47) versus 58 (48-65) (P < .001). Fontan circulation for single ventricle physiology was present in 4/18 (22%) of CHD recipients, while 16/18 (89%) had systemic right ventricles. CHD recipients had higher rates of previous cardiovascular operations (94% vs. 51%, P < .001). 9/18 (50%) of CHD patients required reconstructive procedures at the time of transplant. Operative and cardiopulmonary bypass times were longer for the CHD cohort (7.5 h [6.6-8.5] vs. 5.6 h [4.6-7] P < .001) and (197 min [158-240] vs. 130 [105-167] P < .001), respectively. There were no differences in operative complications or survival between CHD and non-CHD recipients.These data highlight the added technical challenges of performing adult CHD transplants. However, similar outcomes can be achieved as for non-CHD recipients.Modern advances in palliation of congenital heart defects (CHD) has led to increased survival into adulthood. Many of these patients require heart transplantation as adults. There are limited data on adult CHD transplantation. Historically, these patients have had worse perioperative outcomes with improved long-term survival. We retrospectively analyzed 262 heart transplants at a single center, 18 of which were for adult CHD. Here, we report our series of 18 CHD recipients. We detail the palliative history of all CHD patients and highlight the added technical challenges for each of the 18 patients at transplant. In our analysis, CHD patients had more prior cardiovascular surgeries as well as longer transplant operative and bypass times. Despite this, there were no differences in perioperative and long-term outcomes. We have added patient and institution specific data for transplanting patients with adult CHD. We hope that our experience will add to the growing body of literature on adult CHD transplantation.
Introduction: Receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) is a key mediator of a regulated form of cell death termed necroptosis. Recent studies have demonstrated elevated levels of plasma RIPK3 ...
Carotid endarterectomy is the most commonly performed vascular procedure. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the efficacy of duplex imaging as the sole diagnostic study for preoperative evaluation of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. We conducted a retrospective case series analysis in a community teaching hospital. From January 1994 to September 1998, 316 patients underwent carotid endarterectomy for carotid stenosis. A total of 177 patients were symptomatic and 139 patients were asymptomatic. Angiography was performed routinely in the beginning of the study but later was performed only in selected patients. Preoperative duplex ultrasound of carotid artery was performed by a laboratory accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories. Data were reviewed to obtain morbidity and mortality rates, and duplex imaging results were compared with operative findings. Cost and risk analysis of carotid angiography reviewed. This study reviewed variables of age, sex, race, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease, and renal failure. Five patients had a lesion in the proximal portion of the carotid artery by duplex imaging criteria. Duplex ultrasound results were grossly confirmed intraoperatively in all patients except in one patient who was found to have complete occlusion of carotid artery whose duplex was read as high-grade stenosis. The duration of stay ranged from two to 30 days. This duration was influenced by patients' comorbid conditions, postoperative complications or simultaneous coronary artery bypass graft. Four patients had a stroke within 30 days of surgery making the stroke rate of 1.26 per cent. There has been considerable debate on the use of duplex ultrasound as the only method of preoperative evaluation of carotid stenosis before carotid endarterectomy. Our study demonstrates that it is safe to perform carotid endarterectomy based on neurologic history and duplex ultrasound with good technical quality performed in an accredited vascular laboratory. This approach eliminates the cost and risk associated with angiography. Proximal carotid and intrathoracic lesions are rare and can be predicted by the duplex study. We think that carotid angiography is required only when duplex imaging is suboptimal or equivocal in the presence of atypical symptoms or uncommon vascular abnormalities.
Liposarcomas are soft tissue sarcomas of adipocyte origin. We describe a case of a dedifferentiated retroperitoneal liposarcoma with an unusual presentation on recurrence as a large, multicystic tumour. The patient was a 72-year-old woman who had undergone multiple treatments including two prior resections. For her most recent locoregional disease recurrence, the patient was offered surgical debulking for symptom palliation. At this operation, performed after two cycles of chemotherapy, the tumour cyst fluid was analysed and found to have a predominance of immune cells with no identifiable malignant cells. This case and the results of our tumour cyst fluid analysis raise several interesting considerations for the management of this unique situation in a rare disease.
